1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to preassembled steering wheel and steering column housings with electrical connections.
2. Description of the Related Technology
The rotation of the rotor of a steering wheel in relation to the stator of a steering column is guided by a set of rotation guides. Current transfer elements of this type are known as prefabricated assembly parts, in which the rotor and the stator are provided with rotation guides, corresponding to one another, on the inside or outside periphery and are connected by these rotation guides to an integrated component, so that the rotor and the stator form the parts of a housing enclosing the contacts. These guides are located on the inside and outside peripheries of the rotor and stator and closely correspond to one another. When it is necessary to establish an electrical connection between the steering wheel and the steering column, the connection may be enclosed in the housing formed by the rotor and the stator. The prior art discloses methods of providing a preassembled electrical current conductor connecting a steering wheel rotor and a steering column stator. The known current transfer elements have proven functionally adequate, but it is regarded as disadvantageous that, because of the direct guiding of the parts into one another in connection with their permanent installation on two components rotating against one another, the occurrence of grinding noises cannot be definitely ruled out. Although these methods have proven adequate for some purposes, they may produce grinding noises due to the misguiding of one part into another by the rotation guides. In addition, it has proven difficult to adjust the guides once installed. Moreover, difficulties arise in the adjustment, which practically rules out a preassembly of the current transfer element on the steering wheel, and makes it necessary for the current transfer element to be available separately for separate assembly in succession on the steering column. For this reason, the preassembly of a current conductor on a steering wheel rotor has been impractical. Thus, it has been necessary to provide and assemble current conductors separately from the rotor and stator of a steering system.